London: A chemotherapy drug, widely used for treatment of ovarian, bladder, lung, thyroid and stomach cancers, has the potential to cause heart toxicity that can lead to congestive heart failure, a study led by a professor of Indian origin, has found.

In the study, conducted on mice, doxorubicin induced fibrosis in the heart, increased the programmed cell death called apoptosis and impaired the pumping of the heart.